Do interstitials have a future in the advertising market?

Since the beginning of the year, Google has been penalizing websites with intrusive interstitials, better known as pop-ups, by downranking them. The advertising format is not particularly popular with internet users either, as it often restricts a seamless user experience due to its intrusiveness. However, Google does not ban interstitials, but differentiates between useful or necessary pop-ups and purely bold advertising without added value.

The programmatic media buying platform Tradelab and the advertising platform provider Smart AdServer have jointly produced an informative graphic on this topic. It shows the currently available interstitial advertising formats, user behavior and provides ideas for possible alternatives at comparable prices.

However, it is clear that the future belongs to advertising formats that successfully captivate their users and harmonize effectiveness, respect and innovation. Interstitials can play a role in this if they offer an enriching internet experience and are inspired by existing rich media formats.